


Closure

by AnnaTaure



Series: The blue house on the hill [3]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Family Drama, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 15:05:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15003461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaTaure/pseuds/AnnaTaure
Summary: One last problem to solve...





	Closure

**Author's Note:**

> At the end of this episode, Hux is 56, Poe 54, Ethain 19, Ivor 15 and Maral 14.

Maral was born exactly eight months and three weeks after this discussion. She had inherited Poe's dark, wavy hair and Hux's green eyes. _Funny, that._

Unlike her half-siblings, however, she was definitely not a quiet baby. For several weeks in a row, neither Poe nor Armitage could sleep a whole night. Ever the scientist, Hux elaborated several hypothesis to explain her behavior but as he could not access the data of the incubator, had no way to test them. 

For several months, they were at their wits' end, until the little miss decided she had done enough, and slept the entire night at last. It was a relief for all of them, even Millicent, as both adults became significantly less cranky. 

A year after Maral's birth, Ethain began to go to school for whole days, which certainly lightened her parents' schedule. The little girl was curious, intelligent and sometimes hyperactive, and would prove a challenge in later years, Poe thought. But it would be amusing as well. And Theris was a wonderful place to raise children: no pollution to speak of, a splendid landscape, fresh air, good food and plenty of place to run and play, without having to worry about swamps or predators lurking under the trees. 

* * 

Maral was two when the Hux-Dameron family received an unexpected but pleasant visit by Miss Rey. She came alone, no surprise here, after having settled at last on Ord Biniir. Her years of wandering through the galaxy were behind her, at least for a while. She was only twenty-eight but often felt much older, and wanted to rest. The fact she now had a two-year-old son to look after had also played in her decision. Little Tevon was as Force-sensitive as his mother and Rey wished to raise him in a peaceful environment where she could teach him the minimum about his abilities before exposing him to a wider audience. Poe would have liked to meet the boy but he suspected he would have to leave Theris to do so. 

Rey had found several Force-sensitives she was trying to train, but people were now wary of studying the ways of the Force, and no one wanted to hear the word 'Jedi' ever again. This did not leave her with many students but Rey was determined, if nothing else. 

"At least they're not throwing stones or picking blasters," she told Poe as they trotted back to the house on the hill. "It's not easy. But I manage to still do something." 

"As always," Poe said with a warm smile. 

They entered the house as Millicent tried to make a run for the exit. The animal soon found itself brought back inside by an invisible hand, much to the children's amusement. Even Hux seemed not excessively bothered by Rey's display. But then again, he had forgotten most, if not all, of the mistreatments both Snoke and Ren had heaped onto him. 

"Welcome," he greeted Rey, extending a hand she shook without hesitation. 

She had testified and confirmed his memory loss, after all, and contributed to save his life. 

"So, this is your not so little family," she stated. "Can you do the introductions?" 

"Of course. So, the little imp here is Maral, this young man is Ivor, who's turned three, and the dashing lady is Ethain, who is now six." 

They all said 'Hello' with various degrees of success, Maral's coming more as a mumble. They all came to sit under the dome, Rey immediately zeroing in on the small garden that grew inside the circle of stone benches. 

"Any particular reason for you visit?" Hux inquired. 

"Not really. I needed a break, and I've wished to see Poe again for a while. I miss my favorite pilot, mind you." 

"I do hope this won't strain your relation with your... husband? Partner?" 

"Partner, yes," Rey nodded. "He was not pleased with my decision, but he can't keep me locked up either, so he'll have to deal with it. I'm not cutting my friends off just because of who they're... ahem, living with." 

Hux went to fetch drinks while Ethain brought the glasses, walking carefully to the small table and setting them down with a little huff. She sat with her siblings, obviously waiting for the little cakes that always came with the tea and lemonade. Selma was not there anymore but Hux had inherited some of her best recipes and kept them almost religiously. Rey discreetly sampled every kind of sweet food he put on the table: anise seeds cakes, lemon, orange blossom, almonds... Even after all those years away from Jakku, some flavors were still new to her. 

"How does the Republic fare?" Hux inquired as he joined them. 

Rey shrugged. 

"Not as well as they would like," she said. "There are plenty of little federations appearing here and there, who trade and write their own laws without referring to the Senate in the Core. Some of them have already fused together." 

He emitted a little 'hmm' in reply, not indicating that he knew about it, at least partly. 

They chatted about small things and projects for the near future until dinner time. Rey remained for the meal, offering her help with the dishes afterwards. Always smiling, though Poe could see it did not completely reach her eyes. She was tired and stressed, and certainly not satisfied with her life. Perhaps some fans of the Resistance were still hounding her, demanding that she answered their questions. Those people were worse than vultures, and Poe had fled to Theris partly to avoid them and their discourse. 

She left them with several pictures of the family and the island, and an impressive stash of food samples in her bags. 

* * 

Rey came back at least once a year, sometimes with her son - and her _sons_ after a while - bringing news from the rest of the galaxy. If things carried on the same way, the Republic would be completely replaced by a group of federations within two or three decades and the Core would lose the predominant place it had held for several millennia. 

Both her boys, Tevon and Dien, were Force-sensitive and able to perform some impressive feats, though Hux had strictly banned their use on the family pets (Millicent had died some time prior, but a new cat, grey with golden eyes, had soon found a place in their home). 

* * 

Twelve years passed like this. Hux could hardly believe it had been that long, even longer since Poe had joined him. He had never expected to grow so old, old enough to have grey hair and wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, and to see his children grow into adults. Just one more year and Ethain would be of age. _All grown-up..._ He knew that, deep down, Poe had never expected to live that long either. Their only value had been their ability to fight, whether as a pilot or a strategist, so that once the fight had been taken from them, they had not known how to live. Hux had been the lucky one, as he had not been conscious of this imposed value being taken from him. He remembered his father, how he had learned mistrust, blackmail and violence so early in his life, but his work for the First Order had been reduced to immaterial remains without him being aware of it. Poe... had been a different case. From the moment Ren had torn into his mind, he had changed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not go back to what he used to be. The Resistance's favorite toy had been broken, and thus slowly been discarded, considered useless. Poe never talked about it, but Hux knew his husband had come very close to suicide. After his father's rejection, he had been tempted again, even with the children so young. 

Things could have remained peaceful, going on the same way day after day. 

Until Ivor went missing. 

The boy had gone to school as usual, but did not come back home in the evening, causing Poe to grow frantic immediately. What if old enemies had found them and taken Ivor in reprisal? Or had he gone for a walk on the cliffs and fallen? 

Ever level-headed, Ethain went into her brother's room and came back with a thin smile. 

"He was not abducted, he did a bunk. Some of his clothes are missing, along with a travel bag and his pocket money." Hux nodded. 

"I'll tell Poe. That will... not calm him, but it will help. First though, I must have a look at his Holonet console," he muttered. "I'm sure there's something there that can explain his behavior." 

Ivor had been smart enough to take his datapad, but the family Holonet console, of course, was still in place and his search history had been stored there, so Hux only had to look at it. He had never taken off the filters and securities he had installed on the device when their three little hellions were still children. It was easy to discover that the boy had searched for information about his relatives on the Holonet: Shara Bey and Kes Dameron came first in his browser history. 

Hux knew better than tell Poe to calm down. He would be frantic as well if Ethain or Maral were missing, but comfort had never been his forte either so he helped the only way he knew: working on logistics and probabilities to determine where the damn wayward kid might have gone first, and when. Which implied several calls to the nearest astroport and the orbital station. 

Three hours later he had some answers and went to the kitchen, where Poe had locked himself, absently sorting supplies he had already checked several times before. 

"Poe?" Hux called carefully. 

"Is he back?" 

"No, but I know where he may have gone." 

"Tell me." 

Poe turned and gripped Hux's arm almost painfully. When his husband winced, he realized what he was doing and released him immediately. 

"He searched for his grandfather's address, and booked a flight with a connection for Yavin. However, I'm not optimistic about the kind of welcome he may have received." 

Poe had tried, twice, to send his father news and pictures of his only grandson, but it had only led to a complete blackout from the older man. After that, they had given up, and never mentioned Kes ever again. 

Unlike Armitage, Poe was not too proud to beg and he quickly typed his father's number on the comm unit. Predictably enough, Kes did not answer his calls. It was the right number, and the line was still active. The old man just... chose to ignore it. 

"You think Maz Kanata could get through him?" Ethain wondered. 

He was not so sure, though it was worth a try. Maz had given him her undisputed blessings when he had dared tell her about his relationship with Hux, so he could hope she would have the right argument. 

Except this time, the old pirate came back as empty-handed as they had. Kes knew why she kept calling him, and blocked her as well. 

"I'll go on looking for him, no matter what," she promised nonetheless. "I can't believe Kes would be such an asshole. No offense, Poe." 

"None taken, Maz, I promise," he sighed. "We... we'll just wait." 

* * 

A day passed. Then another. Even the cat was tiptoeing around Poe. Hux did not know what to do anymore. His husband did not eat, barely slept... He had sent a word to their clients, calling in sick, and felt completely powerless to do anything to bring some relief to Poe. After three days without news, the pilot cracked and cried in his husband's arms, Hux only able to hold him and murmur sweet nothings to try and soothe his fears. 

On the fourth day, Maral burst into their room to announce a call from Rey. Poe bolted from the bed and ran down into the living-room, Hux on his heels. 

"It's about Ivor?" Poe asked at once, not bothering with courtesies. "Is he here?" 

"Yeah, he is; in the guest room right now." 

Poe almost fainted in relief. His son was safe. 

"A bit shaken, I must admit," she added. "I suspect his meeting with his grandfather didn't go as planned." 

"You can come and fetch him any time," Finn added, appearing on the screen besides Rey. "Only you, however." 

"Nah. You want me to come over, you'll have to accept the rest of the family. Only for a few hours, I'm sure you can manage that." 

His tone was dripping sarcasm rather than pleading. 

"All right," Rey decided. "Tell us when you land." 

She cut the communication before they could hear Finn's protests. Hux was not so keen on Poe's plan. 

"I'm supposed to remain here for life," he reminded his husband. "I don't fancy being executed on sight." 

Poe considered that for a moment. 

"Ord Biniir is far from the Core, and we won't stay long. A day, at most. I understand that you're worried, but your presence would help convince Ivor that everything is fine between us. I have no idea what he might have heard or read, so..." 

Hux raised his hands in surrender. 

"Fine. We'll go together and keep our fingers crossed. To be honest, I don't trust your friend Finn not to call the authorities," he warned. 

Poe did not argue. He hoped Rey would keep an eye on Finn to avoid any... unpleasantries, and that Hux could refrain from any kind of snark for a few hours. 

* * 

The trip to Biniir took more than a day, since they had to take another ship at Comra. Poe felt slightly nervous. Hux seemed more at ease, as if his beard and thin-framed glasses provided a sufficient disguise. He might be right, after all; people did not expect to see General Starkiller with two teenage daughters and a smile. 

Rey was waiting for them at the exit of the tiny astroport, leaning on her speeder. She hugged Poe tightly while he kissed her hair, then she proceeded to greet the girls with almost the same enthusiasm. Hux only got to shake her hand but at least they remained civil to each other. 

She drove them carefully to her house, not wanting to give a poor impression to the girls. Had the adults been alone, she would have probably opted for a more reckless style. They stopped in front of a low building surrounded by a tiny jungle of wild plants that hosted a bunch of singing birds. 

"Nice place," Poe commented. "You did good." 

"Yeah, I think it's a success," she agreed. 

Finn appeared on the threshold, his eyes going from Poe to Hux. The two men considered each other with thinly veiled disgust. The girls were flanking their father, considering them alternatively with a questioning look. 

"Gentlemen, please," Poe said. "Just a few hours." 

"I still don't get how you could choose to spend your life with that -" 

"Don't finish that sentence, please," Poe cut him. "I'd like us to remain on relatively civil terms. As for how and why, at first it was nice to meet someone who treated me as just the guy next door and not some kind of role-model who's not allowed to show any weakness nor doubt. Then there was the prospect of a peaceful, stable life. Oh, and the sex is still great, of course." 

Which was true, by the way. Living in an environment naturally rich in oxygen did wonders for your blood flow, after all. 

"I don't want to know," Finn assured immediately, while Rey and Hux snickered. 

These two got along far too well for Poe's liking. He would never have the last word if they paired against him. As they entered the house, Rey grabbed her husband by the arm. 

"Do not even _think_ about it," she whispered in Finn's ear, "or there will be Hell to pay." 

Poe was already inside, calling for his son. They heard hurried footsteps ahead then Ivor appeared. Hux let out a little sigh of relief when the boy ran into his father's arms, clutching to him tightly. 

"Let me deal with this young man," Poe called over his son's shoulder. "And we'll talk together afterwards, okay?" 

Hux and the girls nodded together. Poe made a mental note not to take too much time alone with Ivor, as the atmosphere would quickly grow thicker and more dangerous between his husband and Finn. 

They went back to the guest room, and Ivor sat on the edge of the bed, his back bent and his arms resting on his knees, as if trying to make himself smaller. Poe sat beside him, an arm around his son's shoulders. 

"Are you going to yell at me?" Ivor muttered. 

"I am not... We're worried, not angry. Though your sisters might be tempted to shout after you a little bit and give you the silent treatment for a while, mind you..." 

The boy laughed weakly. 

"Now," Poe went on, "please tell me what pushed you to... act so rashly." 

Ivor gulped uneasily. 

"I... I wanted to understand. I spent some time on forums and... of course they're still discussing what happened twenty years ago and... I didn't get it." 

"Get what?" 

"Tage. He has nothing on common with the maniac they described. If he reverted to how he had been around my age, how... how did he come to... create Starkiller? What _happened_?" 

Poe sighed. 

"I don't have a proper answer for that," he confessed. "I don't know much about his life. Only that his father did a number on him, and Ren as well. I have no proof, but I suspect Snoke did something to his mind, too. One doesn't get up one morning and decides to blow up five planets with a machine that eats stars for breakfast! Though he did manage to one-up Sith Lords of old with science..." 

"Why did you never talk to us about it? Does Ethain know anything more?" 

Poe shook his head. 

"Your sister is too smart for her own good sometimes, and she figured some things on her own. There was... one incident. You were about two and Tage was making something for the kitchen, I think, which involved a wielding iron. Ethain grew curious and tried to touch it and he... slapped her hand away before she could get a burn. She was fine, and giggling less than five minutes later, but he made himself sick with worry afterwards, because he had sworn he would never raise a hand against any of you. That certainly tipped her off. But to answer your question, we wanted to give you the most normal childhood we could manage. No propaganda, no mentor grooming you for yet another war, no one to trifle with your fears or your dreams. And once you reached adulthood, we would have talked." 

The boy digested that. 

"And to think I could have waited a bit instead of running to my grandfather..." he muttered darkly. 

Poe reached to ruffle his hair, earning an embarrassed groan. Then: 

"He said awful things about you. Against Tage, I could understand, but you... It makes no sense! You're his son!" 

Poe shook his head. 

"No. He's my father. See the difference? He disowned me the minute he found out about Armitage." 

Ivor nodded sadly. 

"I know. He told me as much before he kicked me out. I get that he hates the Empire, the First Order and all that... who would not? But can't he get that Tage _changed_? Even before Ren clubbed him, he never used your calls to track you, right?" 

That was indeed a question that had run around in Poe's mind for a very long time. 

"Eh no, he did not. I should have thanked him for that." 

"Did ... you forgive him?" his son asked. 

"You think I would be living with him if I didn't?" Poe replied in a teasing tone. "I did," he added more seriously, "but I didn't forget. No more than he forgot how the Republic bombed his homeworld." 

The boy nodded, understanding. 

"Ready to go downstairs?" 

"I'll have to, at some point. Let's go." 

When they arrived in the living room, Ethain and Maral were busy chatting with Rey and Finn's sons, while the adults sat awkwardly around the table, no one quite willing to break the silence between them. Hux rose at once when he spotted Poe and their son. Ivor did not hesitate before hugging him, Hux planting a firm kiss into his dark curls. 

"Can we go home now?" Maral groaned impatiently, prompting a laugh out of her parents, and an eye roll from her sister. 

"Yes, now we can," Poe replied. "Thank for your most benevolent cooperation", he added for Rey and Finn's benefit, with probably more than an ounce of snark. 

* * 

They had left with Rey's promise that she would visit soon with her sons. Poe and Armitage did not breathe easily before they reached the safety of Akrotiri harbor, knowing that if they had been intercepted, Hux would have been arrested and executed on sight. 

But they were safe. They had made it and nothing would threaten the peace of their house ever again. Apart from a galactic invasion, they would not allow it. 

Once their children were all sound asleep, Hux went onto the terrace roof where Poe was sitting, his head tilted up to watch the stars. 

"Feeling better?" he asked, pressing himself against his husband's back. 

"A lot," Poe agreed. "Wouldn't have guessed it but this little... crisis helped. 

"How? What did you get from it?" 

"Closure." 

Poe turned around and took Hux in his arms, letting the other man lean on his shoulder. Hux's arms slid around his chest in return. 

"No regrets. I would have retired anyway, perhaps developed bloodburn if I had carried on any longer. Alone, I would have gone mad. You... you saved me in more ways than one." 

"I could say the same to you. I would have lived the same routine over and over again, until Ethain left the house and I remained alone. Instead we did plenty of good things together. 

"Three kids, our blue house on the hill," Poe listed. "Some really _hot_ baths..." They chuckled at that. "How will it end, according to you?" 

"In a very distant future, and preferably at the same time." 

"Sounds good to me." 

And they went back inside, hand in hand, and closed the door behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> And it's a wrap! Thanks for the kudos, comments and bookmarks, they are always welcome.  
> I'll be back soon with another AU, which can be blamed on both @gingerpilothoes and @kylo-ren-has-an-8pack...


End file.
